Pension application of Margaret Reinhart Dietz, widow of Adam Dietz [son of William].  Transcribed 30 Aug 2001 by Rev. Edwin Beller Jr. and Zane Gray Beller from records they located at the National Archives, Wash, D.C.  (EBellerjr@aol.com (Ed Beller)) 

"Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives." Bicentennial ed. Special Pub. No. 40. Wash, D.C. National Genealogical Society, 1976.  p154,  Dietz, Adam,  NY, Margaret, R2847. 

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06-16-1839  From the Affidavit of William Ball, of the Town of Berne stated:  "He did militia service with Adam Dietz.  The said Adam Dietz acted as Ensign in the company of militia commanded by Captain William Dietz, of which company, Matthias Schulders was Lieutenant and Adam Dietz was Ensign, whether the said Dietz held a commission or not this deponent does not know.  Of the Regiment of Peter Vrooman was Colonel and Johan Jost Becker was the Major.  The said company was stationed in the fort or stockade in Beaverdam, in which fort the said Dietz served from the 2nd day of April 1778 to the 15th day of November 1778.  The said Adam Dietz served as Ensign and aided in erecting said fort or stockade, he furnished material and rendered essential aid in securing the fort and watching the enemy, and further this deponent says that the said Adam Dietz had previous to this tour of duty acted in the capacity of fifer for some company but has no distinct recollection of the term of time served, and further this deponent saith not. 

{signed} William Ball. 

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07-10-1839  From the Affidavit of Francis Becraft of the Town and County of Schoharie, New York, being duly sworn doth depose and say that he was a soldier in the Revolutionary Army and is now a pensioner under the laws of the United States.  This deponent further says that during the Revolutionary War he served as a Private in a company commanded by Captain Adam Dietz in the County of Albany during which time the said Adam Dietz had the command of the Switz Kill fort in the said County of Albany.  The said Adam Dietz did duty as a Captain and commanded a company in which this deponent was a Private in the said County of Albany, during the War of the Revolution, for the term of two years and states _________.  He had the command of said Company at the time that Peace was declared and for about two years previous there, that said Company according to the best Knowledge of this deponent belonged to a Regiment commanded by Colonel Vrooman and says as described above. 

Subscribed and sworn before me the 10th day of July, 1839. 

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07-16-1839  From the Affidavit of Johannes Reinhart in the State of New York, Albany County, Town of Berne.  Personally appeared before me Lyman Dwight a Justice of the Peace for the Town of Berne, Johannes Reinhart of the Town, County, and State aforesaid - a soldier of the Revolutionary War - being duly sworn, doth on his oath, depose and say, that he was well and fully acquainted with Adam Dietz who died on the 29th day of September, 1830, aged about 74 years, from old age and injury received by a fall from a wagon, and that the said Adam Dietz in the fall of the year 1776 was a fifer in Captain George Mann's Company of the militia of this company Jacob Snyder was Lieutenant, Peter Vrooman was Colonel of the Regiment and Johan Jost Becker was Major; from the City of Albany this Company was marched to Fort Edward to Skenesboro (EJB: now Whitehall) to watch the enemy at the north, from there the Company was march to Schenectady.  Hence to Ticonderoga and then to Schoharrie where the company arrived late in the fall, in this tour the said Adam Dietz served one month, in the following Spring the said Adam Dietz served in various tours of duty which I cannot now particularly recollect but the service was performed in and about the forts at Schoharrie. 

And further this deponent says that the said Adam Dietz was in the Fort at Beaverdam, now Bern, in which fort he acted as Ensign.  And that the said Adam Dietz performed labor in erecting the fort, the company in this fort was commanded by Captain William Dietz and Matthias Schultes was Lieutenant and Adam Dietz, Ensign, this was in the year 1778, and this deponent says that the said Adam Dietz served for a longer period than seven months in said fort, from the best of his knowledge.  And further this deponent says that the within named Applicant: Margaret Rhinhart was married to Adam Dietz on the 30th day of March, 1776 in the Town of Schoharrie by the Reverend W. Schuyler, and that the said Margaret Reinhart is now the widow of the said Adam Dietz and has remained his widow from the decease of her said husband, which took place as above stated and further this deponent recollects of the said Adam Dietz having the command of a fort in Switzkill, and further says not. 

Sworn and subscribed the day and year above ____________ before me.  

{signed} Johannes Reinhart.  Town of Berne. 

{signed} Lyman Dwight a Justice of the Peace for the Town of Berne 

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08-01-1839  From the Affidavit of Margaret [Reinhart] Dietz, State of New York, County of Albany, Town of Bern.  On the first day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine, personally appeared before the Subscriber, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Albany, (the said Court being in Court: of _____ / Margaret Dietz, a resident of the Town of Bern, in said County, aged eighty one years, who, being first duly sworn according to law, oath, doth in his oath, make the following declarations; in order to obtain the ____________ of the provision made by the Act of Congress July 4, 1836. 

That she is the Widow of Adam Dietz, who was a Private and an officer in the Service of the United States in the Revolutionary War, and served in the Militia of the State of New York as stated in the Affadavits and proof hereto sworn. 

She further declares that she was married to the said Adam Dietz the thirtieth day of March in the year seventeen hundred and seventy six; that her Husband, the aforesaid Adam Dietz, died on the twenty ninth day of September in the year One Thousand eight hundred thirty - and that she has remained a Widow ever since, as more fully appears by reference to the proof hereto subscribed. 

She further declares that her name, previous to her marriage was Margaret Reinhart, - that she was married in the Town of Schoharie and the marriage ceremony was performed by the Reverend M. Schuyler, the Pastor of The Reformed Protestant Low Dutch Church in that town - and that she is unable to write her name, owing to lack of education. 

Sworn to Subscriber on the day and year as written before me. 

Signed by Margaret Dietz by her mark. 

Subscriber ________________ a Judge of Albany County. 

(On back) 

I certify that on the 1st Day of August, 1839 I went to the Widow of the within named Margaret Dietz in the Town of Bern in the County of Albany, and that the said Margaret Dietz then and there subscribed (by marking her mark) and made Oath to the within declaration. 

I further Certify that this widow, due to bodily infirmity, she is unable to leave her residence and attend a Court record - and that she is well known to me as the Widow of Adam Dietz, late of this Town, deceased - Certify my official signature _______ Bern aforesaid this First Day of August, 1839

{signed} John O. Vites a Judge of Albany County. 

State of New York, Albany County SS: I, Henry B. Haswell, Clerk of the County do hereby Certify John Vites, Esquire before whom the foresaid Affadavit purports to have been sworn and whose name, is subscribed to the foregoing Affadavit was on the day of the date of the since a Judge of Albany County Courts and that his name subscribed to each of them is thus proper handwriting and Signature. 

Per Testimony whereof I have hereto set my name and affixed the Seal of the said County this 12th Day of August, 1839.

 {signed}  H.B. Haswell, Clerk 

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08-08-1839  From the Affidavit of Samuel Robertson, State of New York, Albany County, I hereby Certify on oath, that it appears by the Register of Marriages of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the Town of Schoharrie, of which I have the custody, that Adam Dietz was married to Margaret Reinhart, on the thirtieth day of March in the year seventeen hundred and seventy six.  And further Certify, avowth, that the following is a true copy of the Register of said marriage as contained in said Register Viz - March 30th 1776 syn ten howndeche in gesohneven Adam Dietz lgte son of van William Deitz geb Schoharrie en Margariat Reinhart lgte dogter geb West Kamp -- and that the Entry in said Record copied in fair legible figures. 

{signed} Samuel Robertson 

I Samuel Robertson as above named; depose and say that I hold the office of Pastor of the above mentioned Church, and that the above is a true abstract from the Record of said Church, in words and figures as above written. 

{signed}  Samuel Robertson 

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01-27-1851  From the Affidavit of David Kniskern, State of New York, Albany County, Town of Bern on this Twenty Seventh day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty one, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace, duly authorized to administer oaths within and for the Town of Bern, County and State aforesaid, David Kniskern, a resident of the Town of Bern, aged Eighty four years, who being by me first duly sworn according to law ________ his oath depose and say that he was well and personally acquainted with Adam Dietz who served in a fort that was erected in Bern, or now Bern, in the County of Albany, during the war of the Revolution.  This deponent said that the said Adam Dietz, was the Captain of the Company who was stationed in said fort, his deposit ___ recollection is very clear on this subject as this deponent did duty under the said Adam Dietz in and about said fort from the Spring of the year 1778 to the Winter of the same year.  To the best of his recollection Adam Dietz served as Captain in said fort from March to December of 1778, after that time he said Adam Dietz removed to a fort at Switzkill.  This deponent is unable to say - this deponent verily believes - that the said Adam Dietz was married to Margaret (Dietz which was erased) Reinhart - they lived together as man and wife and had children.  This deponent is unable to say - to what regiment the said Adam Dietz Company belonged, and further this deponent saith not. 

{signed}  B.V. Gardener                {signed} (by his mark) David Kniskern 

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written record, DIETZ, {on the third line from the bottom was erased and the word Rinehart entered before being sworn} 

{signed} Benjamin V. Gardener, 

Justice of the Peace State of New York City and County of Albany, Clerk's Office. 

I, Robert S. Lay, Clerk of the______________ Record therein, do hereby CERTIFY that Benjamin V. Gardener whose name appended to the Jurat _________ annexed Affadavits was on the day of the date thereof, a Justice of the Peace in and for said purposes:  and that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said Benjamin V. Gardiner and verily believe that the signature is genuine.  In Testimony Whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed my official seal, this 12th day of February 1851. 

{signed}  R. S. Lay, Clerk 

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01-27-1851  State of New York, County of Albany, Town of Bern on this Twenty Seventh day of January in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty one, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace, and authorized to administer oaths within and for the Town, County and State aforesaid, Eva Shaffer widow of John Jost Shaffer, and daughter of Adam and Margaret Dietz deceased, aged Seventy years past, Peter A. Dietz aged Seventy Two years past, and William A. Dietz aged 63 years past, all residents of the Town, County and State aforesaid, who being by me first duly sworn doth on this oath depose and say that they are the only surviving children and legal representatives of Adam Dietz and Margaret Dietz deceased, and our Father, the said Adam Dietz, died as near as we can ascertain on the last day of September, A.D. 1830 or the first day of October of the same year.  Our Mother Margaret Dietz departed this life on or about the first day of February A.D. 1840 as near as we can ascertain from the events that transpired at about that time.  There is no intestate or published record of the death of either Father or Mother, nor is there any _____________ or by their graves by which the day can be positively identified. 

These deponents say further that they verely believe that their Father Adam Dietz performed service in the Revolution War, as we have often heard him say of his service under Captain Hager in an expedition to Fort George; Fort Edward in the year 1779 and that he also served in a fort at Beaverdam, now Bern, where he was Commanding Officer and was in various other employments in the war of the Revolution in the years 1780-1781. 

These deponents say further that an attempt was made in 1838 to procure a pension for Margaret Dietz, their Mother, for the services of their father, the papers I forwarded at that time are now outside in the Office of  ___________ in the ________ was filed, the Department at that time required more proof of service, our Mother died a few years after that. 

Testimony taken was filed in the Office of Pensions and the matter has been left, until we received two letters which is ___________ ____________.  The testimony file in the Pension Office in and part of this claim.  It is desired by these deponents that in that our form of Pensions should ______________. 

This application is for the purpose of obtaining the half pay that would have accrued from the death of our Mother _________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ in act of Congress posted passed subsequent to March 1832.__

These deponents say further that a want of a knowledge on how to proceed in procuring a pension together with the fact that nearly all the respondents who knew of the service of our Father are nearly all dead and those living have memory is in some cases defective and further that these deponents say not. 

{signed} B.V. Gardner  Eva (X) (her Mark) Shaffer 

{signed} B.V. Gardner                             Peter A.  (X) (his mark) Dietz            William A.  Dietz

Sworn and subscribed before me the day and year above written  

{signed}  Benjamin V. Gardner  Justice of the Peace 

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01/27/1851  State of New York, County of Albany, Town of Bern On this Twenty Seventh Day of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty One, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace, duly authorized to administer oaths, within and for the Town of Bern, County and State aforesaid, Peter Reinhart, who being by me first duly Sworn according to law doth on his oath depose and say that he aged 49 years past, that he is a resident of the Town, County and State aforesaid and that he this deponent was personally acquainted with Adam and Margaret Dietz.  This deponent says that to the best of his knowledge and belief Adam Dietz died the last of September or first of October AD 1830 and the said Margaret Dietz departed this life to the best of his deponents recollection about the first day of February AD 1840.  This deponent says further that he has always lived in the immediate vicinity of the deceased ________ _________ them and verily believes they died at the times above mentioned.  The deponent has no records of their respective deaths but from events that transpired about those times, this deponent is well satisfied that he is correct as to the times of their deaths, and further this deponent saith not. 

{signed}  Peter Rinehart 

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written.  Benjamin V. Gardner Justice of the Peace and I do hereby certify that the above named ___________ Eva Shaffer, Peter A. Dietz, William A. Dietz and Peter Rinehart are all highly respectable citizens of Albany County and State aforesaid and their statements are entitled ______ __________ __________

{signed} Benjamin V. Gardner  Justice of the Peace